What is ALPP?

The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides a national certification program in breastfeeding and human lactation for nurses, physicians, dieticians, WIC personnel, peer counselors, independent lactation counselors and others.

The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice’s mission is to promote evidence-based knowledge and clinical competencies of lactation professionals.

Our vision is of a world where all families have access to quality, interdisciplinary, culturally competent lactation care, thereby promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding and human lactation for individuals and the society of the United States.

Founded in 1999, ALPP is dedicated to improving the foundation of breastfeeding comprehension and understanding throughout the United States by providing lactation professionals the opportunity to sit for the Certified Lactation Counselor, Advanced Lactation Consultant, and Advanced Nurse Lactation Consultant examinations in order to earn the CLC, ALC, or ANLC designations. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited Healthy Children’s Academy of Lactation Policy & Practice (ALPP) Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC®) certification program based on the ISO/IEC 17024 Standard. ANSI is well-recognized within the industry as enforcing the highest standards in personnel certification accreditation.

ALPP develops and administers the CLC, ALC, and ANLC examinations to assess knowledge and skills that underlie competent practice in lactation counseling. The development, administration and scoring of the exams promotes competency in lactation management, skills, and knowledge and thereby fulfills the mission of ALPP.

The purpose of ALPP is to protect the public by identifying individuals who are competent in lactation management skills and knowledge. By extension, ALPP seeks to promote, protect and support breastfeeding for individuals and society at large.